Vanilla Almond Milk
You can’t beat the convenience of buying almond milk at the grocery store but I prefer the fresh, creamy taste of homemade. This Vanilla Almond Milk is a satiating drink packed with protein and healthy fats. You can make it plain and simple with just almonds, milk and salt, or add vanilla and dates for a slightly sweet drink. And unlike processed almond milk, it actually tastes like drinking a cup of fresh almonds!
What’s to love about homemade almond milk
Industrially produced almond milk contain thickeners, stabilizers, emulsifiers, and sweeteners. And the nut content is diluted down to just a few per cup. By making almond milk from scratch, you get to choose the best quality nuts and pack as many as possible into each batch. You can make it plain, or add sweeteners and other flavors. There’s also the option of sprouting the almonds first by giving them an extended soak for up to 48 hours, which may help enhance absorption of nutrients. Learn more about making milk from all sorts of nuts here: How To Make Nut Milk.
Almonds are heart and brain healthy
Almonds have long been appreciated for their ability to lower blood cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease. The combination of monounsaturated fats and a good dose of vitamin E helps keep blood vessels elastic and pliable. This is good for the heart and the brain, where the antioxidants in almonds help reduce inflammation, a process thought to contribute to the development of Alzheimer’s disease. And although almonds are high in calories and fat, eating them has been shown to help people lose weight. Maybe it’s because all those healthy fats — the monounsaturated ones — are so effective at satiating hunger pangs.
Vanilla Almond Milk and more
Drink your homemade Vanilla Almond Milk ice cold for a protein-packed snack. There’s no better sports recovery drink! Or gently warm almond milk in a pan and create your favorite creamy latte drink. It’s especially good whisked with matcha tea, a green tea in powdered form, spiced chai tea, or fresh coffee.
Prep Time | 5 minutes |
Passive Time | 12 hours to soak the almonds |
Servings |
cups
|
- 1 1/2 cups raw unsalted almonds
- 4 cups water plus more for soaking
- 1/2 tsp kosher or sea salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract or the scraped beans from half a vanilla bean
- 2 tsp honey or 1 pitted date, optional
Ingredients
|
|
- Soak the nuts: Place almonds in a deep bowl and cover with fresh water. Soak overnight at room temperature or up to 12 hours. Rinse nuts in a colander, discarding the soaking water. Place a nut milk bag or double layer of cheesecloth over a large bowl. Set aside.
- Combine the nuts, water, salt, vanilla, dates or honey (if using), and 4 cups fresh water in a blender. Blend on high speed until the mixture is completely smooth, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Pour the almond milk into the nut milk bag or over the cheesecloth into the bowl. Squeeze to extract all of the milk from the pulp. Pour the almond milk into a glass jar with a tight fitting lid. Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Shake well before serving.
For making almond milk to be used in cooking savory dishes, omit the vanilla and sweetener.
Substitute raw, unsalted hazelnuts, pistachios, pecans, or walnuts for different types of nut milks. Pecans, like cashews, need only a brief soak.
For a creamier texture, add one-half cup of raw oats before blending.
Leftover almond pulp can be used as almond meal for baking. Place the pulp on a baking sheet and dry in the oven on its lowest setting, usually about 6 hours. For a finer texture, pulse the dried meal in a food processor a few times.
Leave a Reply